Monday, August 03, 2020
IWTG: Canucks can't crack the Wild's defensive shell in Game 1
Thursday, July 30, 2020
I Watched This Awkward Pandemic Exhibition Game: Canucks can’t ground the Jets
Monday, July 06, 2020
Despite Pettersson, Horvat, and Gaudette, the Canucks are not set at centre
There’s a sentiment floating around the Canucks fandom that I find concerning. It’s the idea that the Canucks are set at centre for the foreseeable future and shouldn’t worry about acquiring more young centre prospects, either at the draft or via trade.
It’s why many Canucks fans were fine with the team moving Tyler Madden to the Los Angeles Kings in the Tyler Toffoli trade, even before Toffoli quickly clicked with Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller on the top line. It’s why many Canucks fans are eager to see the team draft defencemen and scoring wingers ahead of centres when the NHL Entry Draft finally arrives.
On the surface, it’s not an unreasonable stance. At the NHL level, Pettersson is a legitimate franchise forward, Bo Horvat is a strong two-way second-line centre, and Adam Gaudette is an up-and-coming scoring threat from the third line. With that youth up the middle and a veteran fourth-line centre, the Canucks should be set for years, right?
The truth is, the Canucks depth at centre is nearly nonexistent.
Friday, May 29, 2020
Why Judd Brackett was let go as the Canucks' Director of Amateur Scouting
Jim Benning confirms that autonomy was the big divide with Judd Brackett.— Thomas Drance (@ThomasDrance) May 29, 2020
"I believe in a chain of command... I don't know too many places where a team is going to give a head scout total autonomy to make all the picks without collaborating with people higher up..."
Saturday, May 09, 2020
Judd Brackett, Star Wars, and the importance of disagreement
Judd Brackett at the Canucks' 2019 scouting meetings. photo: Canucks/YouTube |
Instead, there’s nothing else going on in the world of the Canucks, so the ongoing question of Judd Brackett’s future with the team is not just a story — it’s the story.
As of right now, Brackett is still the Canucks’ director of amateur scouting, a role he’s filled since he was promoted in the summer of 2015 after playing a key role in the scouting of Brock Boeser and Adam Gaudette. He’s been in charge of the Canucks’ drafting for the last four drafts, which have resulted in two true superstars in Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes, along with a handful of other intriguing prospects that could play a large role in the team’s future.
Since amateur scouting and drafting have been the primary strengths under Jim Benning’s tenure as general manager of the Canucks, it’s surprising that Brackett’s future with the team is in doubt.
Actually, it wouldn’t be surprising if Brackett’s future with the Canucks was in doubt because another team wanted to hire him to give him a bigger role with more responsibility and higher pay. After all, that was the path Jim Benning took to becoming a general manager. He was first a scout, then the director of amateur scouting for the Buffalo Sabres before the Boston Bruins hired him as Director of Player Personnel, then promoted him to Assistant General Manager.
What’s unusual is that Brackett seems likely to lose his job despite being very good at it and with no other team headhunting him.
Thursday, April 30, 2020
The 2019-20 Canucks Top Meme Awards
It may be a shortened Canucks season, but there's been no shortage of meme-able Canucks content. Here is a top 8 in honour of defenseman Chris Tanev’s first full season in the NHL.1 We are all very proud of you.2
8 | Hockey hugs (of quality)
Will Graham wrote an entire article on the tangible intangibles of hockey hugs, and it goes to show how embraced they were by the fanbase this season. There was a lot of skill on display, but a lot of camaraderie also.
1st place in the Pacific Division at the break? That deserves some #HockeyHugs #Canucks pic.twitter.com/OI1CjCtJ9w— Sportsnet 650 (@Sportsnet650) January 19, 2020
7 | Yep, that’s me, Jacob Markstrom
The *record scratch* *freeze frame* meme is an amalgam of several 80s/90s film clichés and one of my favourites, because everyone knows the best memes are the ones derived from sheer panic.
On Nov. 5th, the Canucks and St. Louis went to overtime and Tyler Myers shot wide, lost an edge, and took J.T. Miller down with him. It was a rare 3-on-0 heading the other way, and you gotta love Markstrom’s aggressive goal post tap as he readied himself for the challenge. The team’s social media even used the still in their dos and don’ts of social distancing, so it’s nice to know someone is laughing about it now.
— Austinrotten (@AustinRotten) March 30, 2020
Thursday, September 17, 2015
Oh yeah, we're at the Vancouver Courier now
The blog can now be found at http://www.vancourier.com/pass-it-to-bulis.
Alternately, you can just bookmark http://passittobulis.com, which should always lead to the right place.
Have a puppy.
Tuesday, July 28, 2015
Canucks trade Nick Bonino for Brandon Sutter, throw in Adam Clendening for kicks
Canucks fans have had to cope with the loss of several fan favourites this season, so it was nice change of pace when the team announced on Tuesday that they had traded Nick Bonino instead.
Save for two weeks in late October, when we entertained the idea that he was better than Ryan Kesler, the man he replaced, Nick Bonino didn't accomplish much in his time in Vancouver. And in the playoffs, he was arguably Vancouver's least effective player. It was enough to wish that Jim Benning had a do-over on the deal.
Benning must have felt the same way, which is why Bonino is outbound, and centre Brandon Sutter, now formerly of the Pittsburgh Crosbies, is the newest Canuck. Sutter was, you may recall, the centrepiece of a collapsed trade deadline deal that would have sent Ryan Kesler to the Penguins.
But, alas, time travel comes at a cost. Doc Brown warned us about paradoxes; Trader Jim didn't listen. The full deal sends Nick Bonino, Adam Clendening and a second-round draft pick to Pittsburgh for Sutter and a third-round pick.